Young War
by TennantDoctor
Summary: The Doctor, in the midst of a planetary civil war, rescues a young girl after her parents are brutally taken from her. Ill and frail, the Doctor realises the child will only survive if she stays with him until she is better. How will the Doctor cope with having to step back into fatherly duties? Doc!Whump and fatherly Doctor dead ahead.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all, so this is one story I literally couldn't wait to get started on and I'm so excited to publish it. ****If you like Doc!Whump and fatherly Doctor, then you're in for a real treat. The inspiration hit me when I re-watched 'The Doctor's Daughter' and I realised how much I loved the idea of the Tenth Doctor being a father and just looking after children. Lot's of chapters to come. **

**Please read, review, but most of all, enjoy it! **

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The Doctor was running.

No, not just running. He was _sprinting. _

Another barrel of gunfire erupted somewhere from the Time Lord's left as he dodged another crashed and mangled vehicle, trying to manoeuvre away from any screaming or shouting that he heard. His long brown coat flapped behind him as he jumped over a large crack in what used to be a road, his hearts trying to pump the adrenaline through his veins to keep him focused and alert.

Within the course of an hour, the Doctor had witnessed the planet Oplixion fall into the depths of civil war. A fixed point in time, the Doctor knew he could do nothing to prevent it, but hadn't known when he had first landed. And now, he was running for his life. The two sides couldn't be reasoned with and everyone was destined to _die_. Innocent women and children. Families. Everyone.

Even with his superior Time Lord abilities, the Doctor had limitations and he began to feel a stitch rising in the right side of his chest, not realising that he had been running for quite a while. He spotted a pile of debris approaching him and he flung himself down behind it, not caring about the stones digging into his knees and hands as he sat, panting to catch his breath. The stitch continued to aggravate him and he winced in pain slightly, holding a hand to his right heart which he could feel wasn't beating as fast as his left.

"Oh, I'm getting old," He grunted, banging his hand on his chest to entice his heart to catch up with the other. "Come on, don't fail me now."

As he was catching his breath, he took the time to glance around the city. Once tall standing buildings or alien works of art now lay broken and mangled on the streets. Smoke clouded the area like mist and explosions could be heard from every direction. Guilt overwhelmed the Doctor when he spotted what were obviously corpses lying on the road ahead and he turned his head away, knowing there was nothing he could possibly do.

An ear-splitting and threatening roar of battle cries emitted from behind the Doctor's hiding place and he instantly got to his feet despite the stitch still throbbing in his chest. He glanced behind him but could see no platoon of Oplixions moving towards him and instead could only see the black smoke swirling in the air. He set of running again, hoping that he was going to be lucky and miss the invading forces like he had done for the past mile or so. He could sense his beloved time-machine was bearing closer so he kept moving stealthily but quickly down the damaged city streets.

Coming to a particularly sharp corner, the Time Lord slowed his pace and placed his long frame against the wall, peeking his head and his dust covered spiky hair around the wall to check the street was clear. With no sign of any fighting, the Doctor stepped out from his cover and jogged down the street, passing more abandoned vehicles and homes as he did so.

Suddenly, a powerful crash and an intense blast of hot air sent the Doctor flying to the ground and he landed on the hard surface with a cry of pain. Dazed, he flipped himself onto his back to the see the building he had been running past was now a mangled pile of debris and the dust and smoke made the Time Lords eyes sting as he rushed to get to his feet. He spotted a couple of Oplixion warriors appearing from within the smoke, tall, reptile looking creatures with metal guns the size of small tree branches. The Doctor's hearts bashed furiously against his chest as he forced his drowsiness to one side, turning to flee from the approaching warriors whilst hoping they hadn't spotted him.

However, as he set of his long limbs to run, the Doctor unexpectedly found himself falling when his left leg didn't touch any ground. His body connected painfully with the stones and dirt and then the Doctor began to tumble down a steep slope, unable to stop himself as he toppled further and further down. He bumped into stones and yelled out in agony when his leg was caught by a piece of glass sticking out from behind a brick. Finally rolling to a halt, the Time Lord groaned, teeth gritted and his eyes squeezed shut as he felt a trickle of blood escape from the fresh cut in between his knee and foot. It took him a moment to realise he had fallen into a giant crater that was embedded into the road.

"Oh, that's deep…" The Doctor muttered to himself, referring to the cut on his leg as he stumbled to his feet, joints clicking back into place earning another pained moan from the old Time Lord. Knowing that he had no time to discard, the Doctor staggered to the beginning of the slope, feeling another drop of blood slip down to his socks. He began to climb the mountain of stone, finding it slightly difficult with his now bruised and battered body. His converse cladded feet slipped a couple of times before he finally reached the top, grabbing the edge of the road and haling himself back up into the war torn city.

That's when he heard it. His sensitive hearing picking up on a sound that he recognised almost instantaneously. It was the sound of crying.

Pushing the rest of his thin body up onto the road, the Doctor stood for a few seconds, focusing upon the distant sound of sobbing. His instinct was telling him to continue on to find the TARDIS, shouting at him, reminding him that everyone was meant to be _dead, _but something was making his hearts tell him otherwise. Pin-pointing the muffled crying to a half-collapsed building on his right, the Doctor made his decision and limped towards the entrance.

The wrecked building creaked and groaned as the Doctor entered through the smashed doors, holes and bricks scattered everywhere on the floor, but he continued on, his ears perked up to listen out for the sobbing. As he realised the crying was coming from the upper floor, he caught the horrific sight of blood which was smeared up each step until it stopped at the half-way point. The Doctor's throat tightened and he swallowed thickly as he began to make his way up the stairs, careful not to step in the blood. When he reached the half-way point, his eyes were diverted to a human figure lying next to the wall. He sadly glanced at the clear glistened look within the male's eyes, studying a couple of blue markings around the temples, before turning to climb the second half of the stairs.

Reaching the top, the Doctor heard the crying coming from the room directly in front of him and he timidly limped towards the door. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver when he was met with darkness, his eyes darting around the room to check for any signs of life. Once he had taken a few steps in, he raised the screwdriver and activated its blue light, using it as a torch for navigation around the cold and dark room. The sound of gun fire and loud explosions could be heard clearly outside.

Suddenly, the Doctor's ears caught the sound of the timid crying and small wails emit from the far corner of the room and he quickly turned his sonic screwdriver in the direction it was coming from, squinting his eyes as he approached. He instantly noticed the outline of a tiny figure and he raised a curious eyebrow, beginning to limp towards whoever, or whatever, it was.

When he finally got close enough to see, the Doctor realised the tiny figure was a small, frail young girl who was curled up tightly in the fetal position. Her face was buried into her scraggy clothed arms with long brown hair draped over her small shoulders. She was wearing no shoes and the Time Lord could see that her once pretty dress was now torn and mangled with dirt and tears, staining the purple fabric. The corner she was huddled into was damp, and she was yet to notice the Doctor's presence. He lowered the blue light emitting from the sonic screwdriver so it didn't startle the young girl as he advanced gradually towards her.

"Hello?" He whispered quietly, putting on a calm, gentle voice. Another loud explosion rocketed outside, making the building shudder and shake but the young girl seemed to ignore the obliteration that was happening around her. "Listen, I'm the Doctor, I'm here to help." The small child continued to sob but her face began to slowly rise from her crossed arms, finally realising that she wasn't alone. The Doctor halted in his progress towards the young girl when he saw her moving.

"It's okay, don't scream, I'm not here to hurt you." He reassured her, holding his hands up in reassurance. He caught a glance at her face for the first time and both his hearts dropped at the sight. Her small, fragile face was dotted in scratches and dirt, her bright blue eyes bloodshot from her vigorous crying. She possessed the same blue markings as the male that lay dead on the stairs and the Doctor took a wild shot in the dark and guessed that it was most likely her father. She stared intently at the tall thin man in front of her for a few moments, tears still running down her cheeks, before she began to uncurl her tiny limbs and raise herself from the floor.

"That's it, it's alright, ey?" The Doctor said comfortingly. He gradually lowered himself into a crouching position so he was just at the child's height, watching her as she stood up completely and began to steadily step towards him, her small face still plastered with sobs and fresh tears. "What's your name?" The Doctor asked, but got no reply. Instead, the girl reached him, looking into his old brown eyes with sorrow and intense fear, and collapsed, completely unconscious.

The Doctor just managed to reach his arms out in time and catch the small girl before she hit the floor, laying her down gently. He quickly lowered his head to her mouth and he sighed with relief when he heard shaky but clear breaths. He placed two long fingers to her forehead and realised that she was freezing. The girl suddenly coughed, startling the Doctor, but he quickly became even more concerned when the coughs turned into violent convulsions and the girl began to shiver on the floor. He lifted her head up with his long fingers, stroking the brown strands of hair out of her face.

"Hey now, come on, you're gonna be fine." He stated to the girl even though he knew the possibilities of her hearing him were slim. A single drop of blood escaped from the child's lips and the Doctor confirmed that there was something seriously wrong with her.

_Not everyone…not everyone. Not everyone dies. _

With his mind firmly made up, the Doctor shrugged his long brown coat from his shoulders and wrapped the child's frame tightly into it, got to his feet with the girl securely held in his arms and quickly exited the cold and damp room. He carried her without any effort, her thin and fragile frame a dead weight in the Time Lords arms. He made sure she hadn't woken up when he carried her past the body before he limped out onto the street, looking left and right with his sonic still clasped in his hand that was holding the young child's legs. Smoke still loomed in the atmosphere and the Time Lord looked down to face the child, noticing another drop of blood running down from her mouth onto his blue sleeve jacket. He needed to get her back to the TARDIS. _Fast. _

Walking close to the buildings so he wasn't exposed in the middle of the street, the Doctor frantically tried to reach out for his ship, feeling for her presence. A large amount of shouting and gunfire caught the Doctor's attention and he shot a glance behind him. His hearts leapt with fear when he caught sight of what looked like two army vehicles appearing out of the smoke, alien weapons concealing the metal on the sides, making them look like lethal beetles ready to strike.

With no other option, the Time Lord turned and began to jog as best he could down the battered street, his bruised and injured body making speed a difficult endurance. An explosion rocketed to his left and he knew that the alien machines had obviously spotted his blue figure within the smoke and were now aiming to kill.

"Where are you?!" The Doctor exclaimed under his breath as another shot was fired, flying directly into a wall he had just jogged past. Debris flew around him as the wall exploded from the impact and he brought the child up to his chest, shielding her using his body. Needing to get out of view, he spotted an alley way to his left and wasted no time in entering it. He felt another shot narrowly miss his back as he disappeared into the dark, cold space.

When he looked up from studying the young girl's face for injuries, he was met with a sight that made him grin.

The TARDIS.

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**Pretty please, let me know what you thought on your way out. I hope you all enjoyed it! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, here's the second chapter for all you lovely people. If you don't want any serious feels, I suggest you take a deep breath and prepare yourselves...oh, and get ready for the start of fatherly Doctor from this point on. Nawwww...**

**Please read, review but most of all, enjoy!**

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The Doctor flung himself into the TARDIS as fast as his long legs would allow, making sure he didn't harm the young girl in his arms whilst doing so. A gun fired shot hit the TARDIS doors on the outside with a loud splatter but the Time Lord had managed to slam them shut with his shoulder just in time. A couple of angry yells followed from outside and the Doctor knew it would be best to get his ship out of the war torn city and get them both into the safety of the vortex.

Carefully making his way up the ramp to the console, the Doctor glimpsed down at the child in his arms, noticing fresh blood was still dripping from her mouth and her small, fragile face was pale and grey. The patterned blue marks on her temples were also beginning to grow lighter and it didn't take him long to realise that it was an _extremely_ bad sign. She was dying slowly in his arms.

"Come on...don't you dare." The Doctor muttered through exerted breaths, ignoring the niggling injuries he had on his body as he lay the young girl down onto the jump seat, her tiny frame hardly filling the cushioned space. He quickly adjusted the coat around her head to give her more leverage, before spinning around on the spot to face the console. He began to flick switches and pull levers, kicking the large, green rotor in the middle of the controls into life, filling the room with a slow groaning noise as the TARDIS disappeared from the Oplixion alleyway. The ship tumbled slightly to the left and the Doctor immediately rushed back around to the jump seat and held onto the little girl who was still unconscious, making sure that she wasn't going to suddenly slip off, until the rushing machine settled into the vortex a couple of moments later.

Knowing that they were both away from any danger, the Doctor could finally place his full attention onto the sick little girl, who he was now _desperate_ to save. He reached down and scooped her back into his arms, her light form causing no bother for the Time Lord as he set off down the corridors of the TARDIS. The cut on his leg throbbed in response to his fast paced walking but he refused to let it bother him. He had to save her.

Rushing through a big silver door that slid open when the Doctor approached, he practically sprinted to the nearest medical table and carefully placed the child onto the cold metal and un-wrapped his bundled brown coat from around her form so he could see her better. Her long dark hair fell away from her now even paler face and the dried blood was scattered over her thin cheeks. The Doctor found one of her hands and held it in his, his hand seeming gigantic compared to her small fingered limb. Her skin was ice cold.

"Let's get you sorted." The Doctor muttered quietly but confidently, gently placing the small hand back onto the table. Before he even considered injecting her with anything, he had to confirm her species. Even though the child appeared human, the blue markings on her temples suggested otherwise and so he extracted the sonic screwdriver from his jacket pocket and ran the tool up and down her still frame, the blue light illuminating the tattered and marked dress. After a few seconds, he held the device up to his ear as it bleeped faintly with results.

"Of course…you're a Morabian." The Doctor specified, holding out the sonic screwdriver once more to scan at the young girl's temples. The Morabians' were a humanoid species who lived on the planet Sliv'ial in the White Star Galaxy. The Doctor had only ever visited the White Star Galaxy once in his life and that had been hundreds of years ago but from what he could remember, the species were practically similar, if not the _same_, to humans. The only thing that concerned him was the blue patterning lining her fragile face but, with time now quickly running out, he knew he would have to look past it if he was going to save her life.

Rushing over to one of the metallic surfaces that was covered in medical gadgets and gizmos, the Time Lord rummaged around looking for one particular object until he spotted it lying at the end of the table. It resembled a small, paediatric breathing mask which he placed over the little girls face and activated with the sonic screwdriver, oxygen flooding the mask which hopefully would help the little girl to breathe. He then marched back over to the same place once again and opened a draw that contained boxes upon boxes of empty syringes. He plucked one out and stepped up to the table, cautiously lifting the child's right arm with his hand and inserted the long thin needle into the skin without hesitation.

"For someone who's called the Doctor, I still don't do so well with needles." He commented to no one but himself with the girl still out cold as he extracted a small amount of her blood into the syringe which turned out to be a slightly paler red than he had expected. Once he was satisfied, the Doctor slowly withdrew the needle and used a cotton bud to stop the bleeding on the small pale arm, before he trailed over to another pile of medical gadgets. Picking up a small tube, he withdrew the blood into it and acquired the sonic screwdriver once again, aiming at the slim tube that held the red liquid. His eyes glanced over to the child whose breathing had become less ragged, but still didn't look any less sick, the blue patterns still growing a lighter blue.

After a few moments had ticked by, the Doctor's tool let out a loud beep and he glared his dark brown eyes at the test tube with even more concern now rushing through his hearts. The scan from the blood concluded the young Morabian had the equivalent of an adult chest infection which at her age, the Time Lord knew, was fatal if left untreated. However, the Doctor recalled the last time he had come across the same illness and, luckily for the child, he remembered exactly how to treat it.

He quickly disposed of the test tube and the syringe, positioning himself at another part of the med bay which contained shelves upon shelves of chemicals and medicines that the Time Lord had collected over his nine-hundred years. He picked another syringe out of the draw and began to mix together different cocktails of liquid, even pulling out his glasses to make sure he didn't pick up any wrong ingredients for the mixture he hoped would save the child's life.

"M…m-mister?"

The Doctors ears perked up at the sound of the tiny, raucous voice behind him and he quickly turned on the spot to find the young girl with her head twisted towards him, the breathing mask still positioned on her face. Her green eyes were glistened with panic but still held the red, bloodshot coverage as she stared at the tall, thin man a couple of feet away from her.

"Hey there," The Doctor greeted with a soft tone, placing down the bits and pieces he had in his hands and making his way over to the table to sit beside the young girl on a small, metallic stool. The thought of the inevitable questions she was going to ask him raced through his mind and he felt his hearts drop for the youngster lying in front of him. "Don't worry, you're completely safe." He reassured her.

The girl still had her eyes fixed into his old brown ones and she blinked weakly. "W-where am I?" She croaked, her tiny features turning into a squint as she glanced up at the bright light above the table.

"You're in my spaceship." The Doctor replied, leaning forward on the stool slightly. "Like I said, no need to worry. You're perfectly safe."

"I don't...I don't feel very well." The child moaned from underneath the mask, attempting to raise herself up on her elbows. In the midst of his worry, the Doctor had forgotten about the blood that was staining her cheeks and he quickly stood up from the stool, grabbing a small white cloth and wetting it with cold water from the sink in the corner of the room. He then walked back to the girl who was now trying to lie back down. The Time Lord used his free hand to adjust his brown coat which was still sprawled underneath the youngster to make a securer headrest.

"There you go," The Doctor said as the little girl rested her head back down onto the soft material of the coat. He then removed the mask from her face, revealing her pale, dry lips and the girl flinched slightly, obviously becoming slightly deterred by the strange man. When he reached the damp cloth towards her face, she recoiled again. "It's only cold water, I'm just going to wipe some of the nasty dirt from your face." He gave her a small smile and in return, the girl gave him a small nod of the head which he took as an approving signal, beginning to wipe the blood from her face. "So, what's your name, sweetheart?" The Time Lord couldn't remember the last time he had called someone sweetheart.

"N-Nora." She replied timidly, her green eyes drifting up to the Doctor's face as he continued to wipe her face clean of the muck and blood. Once he was finished, he speedily retreated the damp cloth away and placed himself back onto the stool.

"Nora? That's a lovely name. Blimey, that's a great name." The Doctor stated. To this, Nora's lips formed a small smile and a tiny giggle emitted from her mouth that made the Doctor smile warmly back. However, the inevitable finally happened.

"Where's mama?"

The Time Lord's hearts sank. He could only stare at Nora's innocent face, unable to even open his mouth. For once, he was _speechless_, with no idea what to say.

"Mister...where's mama?" Nora asked again, tears beginning to brim at the corner of her eyes. The Doctor swallowed a lump in his throat, still unable to answer the little girl in front of him. As he tried to fight back the urge to reach forward and comfort Nora, tears also began to show in his eyes. "I want to see my mama...where's my papa?"

Just as the Doctor was about to answer, Nora suddenly sat upright and began to cough violently, the tears that had been welling up in her eyes falling down her cheeks as small splatters of blood spat from her mouth. The Time Lord sprang to his feet and instantly ran over to the place where he had been working, grabbing the small cocktail of medicine he had produced earlier. Her coughs became louder and harsher as he tried to focus on placing the mixture into the empty syringe. Seconds past and he finally managed to get the last of the medicine through the needle and he sped back to the table where Nora was now hunched over the coughing had become that bad for her tiny frame.

"Nora, I need to you lay back towards me," The Doctor said, fear coursing through his veins when she was unable to answer him through her coughs. He knew that her reaction to a needle probably wouldn't be a positive one, but it was the only thing that would be able to help her. "Come on Nora, you ca-"

Nora suddenly screamed a high pitched yell of pain and she threw herself backwards onto the table, blood running down her lips as she began to shake and convulse on the table. The Doctor reached out both his hands and tried to steady her, brushing some of the long brown hair out of her face, but as the seconds ticked by, her convulsions became worse and he realised that the medicine needed to be in her system. He carefully clasped onto her right arm and tried to steady it from her shaking and without wanting to waste any time, quickly inserted the needle into the same place he had extracted some of her blood. She screamed in response, but was unable to retreat from his grasp in her current state.

Once all the medicine had been emptied from the syringe, the Doctor withdrew it from her skin and threw it across the floor, quickly scooping the young girl into his arms. He shifted her convulsing frame until she seemed comfortable and he quietly began to make calming noises, feeling the shaking and the convulsions slowly deteriorating as the medicine began to work its way through her system.

"Shhh, there we go." The Time Lord reassured her gently, feeling her becoming more relaxed. However, tears were still streaming down her cheeks, marking the Doctor's shirt as her head cuddled into him as she sobbed. "You're okay, Nora. I've got you." He began to pace slowly around the med bay, his eyes fixed on Nora's face as her sobbing became quieter and quieter.

After a few moments, she was fast asleep.

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**Don't forget to leave a review on your way out, I'd love to hear what you all think of my attempts at a fatherly Doctor. And also how I hopefully managed to hit you straight in the feels. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello all! I just want to say thank you for the lovely reviews I've been getting with this story, it's wonderful to know you're all enjoying it. A few people have asked me when this story is set within the Doctors timeline and I can confirm that it takes place after Donna has left. **

**Prepare yourselves. I think I might have broke my feel-ohmmeter whilst writing this chapter. **

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After settling Nora back onto the medical bed, her mask covering her small face to aid her breathing, the Doctor had concealed the ill child in a thin blanket and left her to get some well-earned rest. He had retreated back to the console room to tend to his own wounds which had already begun to heal. The cut on his leg was nor deep or long, and the scratches and bruises were mere history. But his body was still tired and raw with his suit still covered in tatters and dust.

"Oh, nice one, Doctor…" The Time Lord uttered to himself as he slumped his thin frame onto the jump seat, his head lolling back so his old brown eyes were staring up at the circular patterning of the ceiling. He was glad he had managed to save a life – a life which could have swiftly ended, but now, he was going to have to deal with the consequences. The Doctor could sense Nora was such a sweet little girl and within hours, she had lost _so_ much. _Too_ much. He didn't know what he was going to tell her.

For some odd reason that he couldn't put his finger on, the Doctor felt very protective towards the young child. A connection which he hadn't experienced in a long while, which was pulsating against every instinct in his body. It was the same instinct however, that had screeched at him to go and save her…a father knows the sound of a child crying.

"You're getting soft in your old age, Time Lord." He sighed, lifting his head to look at the console of his time machine whilst attempting to withdraw the memories that were digging their way out of his mind. He rubbed his hands over his face, wondering what the next step would be. He had practically placed himself into a commitment. With a small and very ill Morabian on board there could be, _would be_, no adventuring or gallivanting around the galaxies in his usual manner. "Very soft…"

"Mi-mister?"

The Doctor's ears perked up a tiny voice emitted from behind him and he twisted around promptly on the padded seat to see Nora, stood with her hands rubbing at her eyes. She still looked pale, and her blue markings were still rather dull, but there was a small amount of colour dancing in her cheeks.

"Oh…hello, Nora." The Time Lord greeted, surprised that the young child hadn't taken as long as he originally thought to react to the medicine he had given her. "You should still be resting."

Nora gave a tiny yawn in response, obviously still tired, but as her hands fell away from her face, her green eyes lit up with wonder as she spotted the TARDIS console for the first time. "I-Is this your ship, mister?"

The Doctor looked back to the rotor and reached out a hand to give some of the controls a pat. "It certainly is. She's called the TARDIS." He told her, stopping himself from explaining what TARDIS stood for. He would probably just confuse the poor girl. "You don't have to call me 'mister' anymore, Nora. It's a bit too…official, for my liking. My name's the Doctor."

Nora tilted her head slightly, still mesmerised by the humming ship she was currently stood in but gave a small nod when the Doctor told her his name. "Hi, Doctor."

The Doctor grinned at the young girl and slowly held out his hand with his fingers open as if for her to take it in a gentle gesture. "Come on, I don't bite." He reassured her. Having had a stranger take her away from a war driven planet and patch her up on his time machine, she was surely going to be reluctant. However, Nora timorously began to step towards the Time Lords outstretched hand and, ever so carefully, lifter her own small hand to clasp one of his long fingers.

"Would you like to sit up here, with me?" He asked, to which Nora nodded with a slightly more confident expression. He led her round to the space next to him and helped her to clamber onto the light coloured padding. "There we go."

Nora was still mesmerised by the TARDIS console and her sparkling green eyes were bouncing over every device and every switch, trying to take in the extraordinary parts of the old machine. The Doctor studied her from the corner of his eye with a lopsided curve of the mouth, noticing how curious and inspective she was for such a young girl. "How are you feeling?"

Nora stopped glaring at the console so she could focus her eyes on the Time Lord next to her, who had lifted his converse cladded feet to rest them on the edge of his ship. Nora giggled. "I'm feeling much better…the pain in here has gone." She told him, pointing to the area around her chest and then diverting her hand to the Doctor's legs. "You have really long legs, Doctor."

"Really? Oh, I never noticed." The Doctor replied, the young girl giggling as he shook his right leg as if inspecting it. It was nice to hear such a happy sound coming from her lips, as opposed to whimpers or cries of pain. The Doctor wished he didn't have to approach the inevitable conversation, but he couldn't run away from it. "So, how long have you been sick for, Nora?"

"A while…I started with a really bad cough which got worse. The hospital on my planet didn't have the right medicine for me and they told us the only place my mama could find any would be on Op-plix...Oplix-"

"Oplixion." The Time Lord said to aid her. "What happened after you arrived?"

Nora's expression turned to that of sudden fear and the Doctor mentally kicked himself. He was out of practice with conversation and signals. She had been laughing mere minutes ago.

"We went to a big house to find medicine for me…" Nora explained timidly. "But then, there were some nasty bangs and…and papa disappeared and he didn't come back and then something...something…my mama…"

"It's okay, Nora." The Doctor told her, his eyes turning to that of complete sadness as he watched the small girl recalling the earlier events. Nora's green eyes were already filling up with tears and her breathing had started to scatter in pained tremors. The Doctor could feel a lump developing in the middle of his throat and he swallowed the sorrow, bringing his legs down from the console so he could lean forwards on his elbows and look at the young girl properly. "Nora…your mother and father… they-"

"M-mama and papa aren't coming b-back aren't coming back, are they?" Nora sobbed.

The Doctor finally felt a tear escape from his watery eyes, the sight of such a young child having to bear the awful news becoming too much. Even though the Time Lord had seen many things in his long life, witnessed deaths and families being ripped apart, there were things that even he couldn't manage to watch. A helpless, vulnerable child who had lost her parents was something only a heartless demon wouldn't have pity towards. With a slow shake of the head, the Doctor could only manoeuvre his lips to whisper 'no', to which Nora's eyes squeezed shut and her cries became loud screams of distress, torment and pure grief.

The Doctor could merely observe, his lip threatening to tremble, but he strained to pull himself together. "I'm…" He started, not really knowing what was worth saying and turned his head to look away from Nora. "I'm sorry, Nora…I'm so, so sorry."

The Time Lord suddenly felt the jump seat move beneath him and then something connected with his arm and he quickly turned his head to see Nora had put her head against his arm whilst she reached out to clutch the material on his chest with her small hands. Without any hesitation, the Doctor enveloped his arm around Nora's shoulders and drew her closer to him, letting her cry into his arm. However, that didn't seem to be enough for the young girl and she hoisted herself up the Doctor so she could throw her arms around his neck, resting her knees on his lap for more comfort.

"I…I didn't want them to go…why did they have to _go_?!" She wailed, whilst the Doctor gripped her with his arms so she could be as close to him as she wished. "W-why did you s-save me?"

The Doctor let another tear drop from his eye as he glared up at the green rotor of the TARDIS, slowly rocking Nora backwards and forwards as she wept. "I heard you…" The Doctor replied solely, rubbing her back softly. "I have very good hearing, Nora…and I heard you. I came to find you because…because I didn't want you to die there. You're so young, and sometimes…not everyone dies. Not when the Doctor's around."

Nora continued to sob into the Doctor's pinstriped shoulder for a few moments. She understood this strange Doctor would have had no reason to save her, but yet, he had. She knew was alive because of him. "Y-you saved me...could you save my mama and papa?"

"No, Nora…I'm so sorry…by the time I'd gotten there…" He tried to finish his sentence, but instead, closed his eyes and placed his hand on the top of the girls long brown hair and pulled her close, letting her snuggle into the crook of her neck. For once, he wanted to be able to go back – to be able to save this poor little girl's mother and father. But he knew he couldn't. "I promise you, Nora. I can get you back home…but you need to stay with me for a while so you can get better. You're very, very sick. You've been through so much for someone your age, and you've been _very_ brave."

Nora, despite her strong cries, nodded slowly under the Doctor's neck as he continued to rock her in his arms, his thumb stroking her slightly matted but soft brown hair. Nora didn't know this man, who he was or where he had come from, but something about him made her feel safe. She abruptly began to feel tired, the sadness and grief overtaking her beating heart and her mind drifted as her grip on the Doctor became looser and looser, and suddenly, the young girl went completely limp on the Time Lords frame.

The Doctor didn't panic. He knew it was the medicine running its course through her body which would have sensed an oncoming attack and gently set her mind back into a deep sleep. Despite her looking better, she was still at risk and very ill. If she wasn't cared for in the proper manner, the Doctor knew things could take a turn for the worse. He had to do his best for her.

Lifting his hand up so he could rub the tears away from his cheeks, he took a deep sniff and collected himself with a sigh, before clutching Nora tightly so he could lift her into his arms and rise up from the jump seat.

"Come on, sweetheart." He whispered gently, as he turned to head down the dimly lit corridor.

* * *

**Let me know what you think in a review on the way out, I hope you all enjoyed it! **


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